National Perspectives of the Implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services

1. National Perspectives of the Implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services Rupa Kumar Kolli WMO

2. What are Climate Services ? • Consolidation of knowledge about the past, present and future state of the climate system; • Identification of the type and form of services involving information about the climate and its impacts that are needed within the community at large and within specific sectors that are particularly sensitive to climate variability and change; • Development and delivery of a range of ‘products’ and advice based on climate knowledge and driven by the identified needs for climate services; • Effective uptake and application of these products to help achieve desired outcomes.

3. Pre-requisites for climate services • Available • at time and space scales that the user needs • Dependable • delivered regularly and on time • Usable • presented in user specific formats so that the client can fully understand • Credible • for the user to confidently apply to decision-making • Authentic • entitled to be accepted by stakeholders in the given decision contexts • Responsive and flexible • to the evolving user needs • Sustainable • affordable and consistent over time.

4. GFCS activities will address three geographic domains:global, regional and national

5. Typical Interactions required for GFCS at national level • National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs); • National agencies for agriculture and forestry, marine (coastal and ocean), water resources, health, energy, the environment and disaster management, and other climate sensitive sectors; • National and local government committees that deal with policy formulation involving a consideration of climatic issues; • National Climate Forums; • Universities and other institutions conducting climate system and climate applications research as well as observations and climate monitoring activities; • Non-governmental organizations whose activities are sensitive to climate variability and change; • Private/public partnerships aimed at tackling problems with a climate dimension.

6. User Interface Platform • Feedback: that allows providers to obtain information on how effectively their products are meeting the needs of user communities; • Dialogue: that provides opportunities for people responsible for research, observations, product delivery, and applying climate information to meet and communicate on either a bi-lateral or multi-lateral basis for assessing how well the components of the service chain (inputs, outputs and take-up) are performing individually and in relation to each other; • Evaluation: that monitors the development, delivery and effectiveness of climate services as agreed between users and providers; • Outreach: that improves climate literacy in targeted sectors and the wider user community through a range of public education initiatives and on-line training programmes. • Contribute to Regional Climate Outlook Forums (RCOFs) • Participate in regular National Climate Outlook Forums (NCOFs)

7. Climate Services Information System • Physical infrastructure (computer capabilities, tools and operational practices, professional human resources) • Ability to draw on climate information delivered by global and regional producing centres • Promote the free and open exchange of national data and access to international data and products, while respecting national/international data policies • Standards, protocols and schedules, quality control, archiving and subsequent access. • Portfolio of climate products tailored to user contexts that will typically be required at national and local levels for various sectors • A core national institution (NMHS in most cases) that provides at least a basic set of primary climate information and data products. • Mandates (roles and responsibilities) of contributing institutions for strengthening and streamlining of the CSIS structure at the national level. • The extent to which a NMHS can play the pivotal CSIS role will depend on its strengths, capabilities and given mandates. • Contribute to/coordinate RCOFs; coordinate NCOFs • Dissemination/communication

8. Observations and Monitoring • Existing national capabilities for climate observations and arrangements for data exchange will provide the starting point for building the national infrastructure for climate services. • Climate services at the national level will clearly benefit from the observing and monitoring systems operated by the NMHS and other organizations. • Major spatial and temporal gaps in climate observations and historical data within national borders and areas of responsibility (which may include areas of open ocean), and especially in sparsely populated regions and throughout many developing countries. • Major shortcomings in virtually all countries with respect to the organization and standardization of biological, ecological, environmental and socioeconomic observational programmes and data management practices. • It will be important for all organizations with the potential to contribute to the GFCS at the national level to work together to scope out, agree on, and develop a national observations and monitoring effort as well as data sharing arrangements. • Data management with quality assurance (archives & rescue)

9. Research, Modelling, and Prediction • Improve relevant scientific knowledge and science-based climate information, and to facilitate their transitions into operational climate service provision by assisting with the development or improvement of tools and methods for effecting the transitions. • Develop and improve practical applications and products to satisfy the needs of users identified by the other pillars. • Accommodate user needs (wants) in establishing research priorities along with what is required to advance scientific understanding of the Earth’s climate system. • Capacity for conducting research on the climate system or for conducting applied climate research varies very widely between nations, with many having little or no capacity at all except perhaps in narrowly targeted applications. • Extending research strategies and programmes (e.g., World Climate Research Programme, WCRP) to target regional and national priorities. • Coordinate resources within the framework of a broadly based national programme of climate research, which would serve to support not only their own national climate services but also through programmes of technological transfer the climate services of other countries with less developed research capabilities.

10. Capacity development • Human capacity • Infrastructural capacity • Procedural capacity • Institutional capacity Capacity development should: • address both demand and supply sides • be service oriented • respond to user needs • be balanced with climate science capabilities

11. Climate Observations Climate Data Management Interaction with users Seasonal Climate Outlooks Climate Monitoring Specialised climate products Decadal Climate Prediction Long-term Climate Projections Customized climate products Climate Application Tools Categories of Infrastructural Capacities Basic Climate Services Cat 1 Essential Climate Services Cat 2 Full Climate Services Cat 3 Advanced Climate Service Cat 4

12. Operational infrastructure required • Technical infrastructure • Requirements for the different components of the GFCS (Observations, Monitoring, Research, Operational climate information and prediction products, User Interface mechanisms) • Interoperability of databases (e.g., WIS compliance) • Climate Services Toolkit (especially including downscaling/tailoring tools) • Web platform for dissemination • Global-Regional-National interaction • Networking capabilities (national access to as well as contribution to global and regional products) • Best practices and standardized approaches • Quality management, best practices on methods, tools, etc. • Standardized approaches for facilitating regional/sub-regional synergy • Linking operational products with the applications • Access to application models and decision support tools • User-accessible climate knowledgebase • Operational linkages with applications infrastructure

13. NMHSs: Underpinning the GFCS • NMHSs already provide climate services based on the historical archives of observational data collected for weather services; several of them also provide operational climate prediction products, up to seasonal time scales • NMHSs are mandated by the WMO Convention to observing and understanding of weather and climate and in providing meteorological (including climatological), hydrological and related services in support of relevant national needs, ensuring authenticity to their products and services • NMHSs are structured and trained to provide 24/7 services • NMHSs through collaborative mechanism have established standard practices across the globe for weather services that can be easily extended for delivering climate services • Users deal with weather and climate information in a seamless manner, and it greatly helps them to meet all their weather and climate information needs through a ‘single window’; NMHSs can effectively provide such a single window. • NMHSs and their partners constitute a large pool of technical experts dealing with weather and climate

14. Potential National Mechanisms • Framework for Climate Services at the national level • Similar to other levels of GFCS but involves practicalities and specifics for delivery of climate services at the national level through well-coordinated arrangements between the key national institutions responsible for observations, research, tailored products and expert advice as well as the user sectors. • Some countries may establish coordination mechanisms appropriate to their national context, largely as integral components of the NMHSs, to support/facilitate GFCS implementation at the national level • National Climate Outlook Forums (NCOFs) • Adapting the Large and Regional scale forecasts to the national context • Tailoring products and translating key messages for users (Multidisciplinary Working Groups) • Evaluating the impact of expected conditions (with existing vulnerabilities) • Coordination mechanisms at National level • Depend a lot on specific National context • Depend a lot on the positioning of NMHS within the Framework at the national level • Needs a strong and sustained users liaison • Needs coordination of Research (including climate change aspects) • Needs coordination of climate data and knowledge base

15. Guidelines on Frameworks for Climate Services at the National Level • http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/documents/GuidetoClimateServicesattheNationalLevel.pdf

16. Thank You RKolli@wmo.int For more information on GFCS: http://www.wmo.int/gfcs Google Group: http://www.wmo.int/gfcs/group